Coventry City transfer news from CoventryLive as out-going favourite Callum O’Hare set to be unveiled at rival Championship club
Callum O’Hare has been unveiled at Sheffield United after leaving Coventry City as a free agent this summer.
The 26-year-old is understood to have turned down an extremely lucrative offer from the MLS while he also had interest from the likes of Leicester City and Southampton, newly promoted to the Premier League, and relegated Burnley.
The Blades, however, are understood to have matched top flight wages to get the attacking midfielder who is reunited with another Sky Blues ’ favourite, Gustavo Hamer, at Bramall lane, albeit there is uncertainty over the Dutch/Brazilian’s future at the club.
A statement on the Blades’ website read: “United have fought off fierce competition from a number of clubs to land the services of an exciting attacking player on a long-term deal.
“Callum O’Hare, formerly of Coventry City, has penned a four-year-contract at Bramall Lane and arrives on a free transfer, with the deal concluded shortly after it was confirmed that Wales international Kieffer Moore had also become a Blade on Monday.”
Manager Chris Wilder said: “Like Kieffer, Callum is another player who has been on our radar for some time. I don’t think there is a club in the Championship, and certainly some teams in the Premier League, who wouldn’t relish the opportunity to work with Callum – quite simply he is a talented individual and we are thrilled he wanted to take the next stage of his career with us.
“Our punters will know a lot about Callum, he has performed well against us for Coventry in the past and I know they will have seen attributes which fit with what they expect a Sheffield United player to be like.
“I’ve spoken at length about the type of players we want here going forward and about getting the culture right. Callum ticks boxes with what we are looking for and we, as a staff, can’t wait to get working with him.”
O’Hare said: “I am buzzing to be here. It is a big club; I had some interest from some other teams and other leagues but I just thought that this was the right step in my career so I can’t wait to go out there now and play.
“I have a lot of time for the players, fans and coaches at Coventry, they have been a big part of my life and my career, but I just felt that it was the right time to move on.
“I met Chris Wilder in Birmingham and from there I obviously knew what a top man he was. He kept in touch and since then the conversations kept flowing and I knew he was definitely the right person to work under.”
Many City fans may be left scratching their heads at what appears to be a sideways move to another top-end Championship club, rather than the Premier League, but O’Hare may well have seen the guarantee of regular starts, coupled with the wages and United’s ambition for a swift return to the top flight as enough to convince him it’s the right move for him.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that Wolves are leading the race for Hamer, with the Blades demanding £20m for his signature. The Sky Blues, who sold him for around £15m last summer, would benefit from a sell-on clause and get a percentage of any profit on the midfielder.
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